The will to live

There’s nothing that clarifies life more than death.
When people we love pass away, it’s typical to go through a grieving period for the loss of their earthly presence. I believe we also go through a spiritual emergency regarding the life we are or are not living. For a certain time we may question what we didn’t say, haven’t done, aren’t doing or even what we are doing. The presence of death seems to spark this kind of character review and actions taken… or not.
What are we doing here, anyway? We don’t want to die, but are we really living? This is a large topic, larger than a simple blog entry, but one that makes me think of a common word in the English vocabulary: will. As I ponder life and living, this word ‘will’ seems one that is vastly overused, yet generally misappropriated.

Here are a few definitions of WILL: a decree, a determination by choice, a futuristic intent, a legal document declaring the disposal of property after death.

If I had to put all of my money on the table, although the pile wouldn’t be high, I’d bet that the most used translation of the word ‘will’ would be “a futuristic intent.” Of course, it’s appropriate to have a will and an intention. The problem with this overly used word is that it keeps us out of the present and always in another time-zone, one that hasn’t happened yet and probably “never will.” We can’t predict the future, nor should we constantly expend energy on something that is not actually even real. Most intentions, except the tangible ones such as “I will turn the light off” never turn out like our vision in the first place. If we have an intention of moving to California, we can fulfill the actual packing and moving, but the vision of our intention – the smells, experiences, feelings are never as we had envisioned. Think about it – the amount of time we spend dwelling on, worrying about or planning for some unknown happening consumes the majority of most people’s day. Even our hopes and current desires are wrapped around this notion of ‘will’. How can we live a life of happiness and peace when we are not even living a life of actual reality? This is a powerful realization which prompts the awareness to remove the ‘will’ and live in the now.

When the ‘will’ becomes ‘am’ then the mind becomes aligned with the body and spirit and health is created. Examples: “I will lose weight.” “I am loosing weight.” “Someday I will take dance classes.” “I am dancing!” “I will call her back tomorrow.” “I am calling her right now.” “Before I die, I will travel South Africa.” “I am booking my flight to South Africa.”

As a matter of fact, however positive the will to do something is, it’s not worth anything until it is done. This begs the question, “What are you waiting for?”
I know we can’t do everything in one single moment, but to understand that you are only doing what you are doing right now, and nothing more, is an awakening to the present that allows a life to be lived deeply – richly, with no regrets. It returns the reality of your life right before your very eyes. As we mourn the death of others, ours becomes a time to celebrate the life we still have right now, not later – there is no later. This concept is the impetus to make that call, book the flight, paint your house, call your long-lost friend.
As you alleviate the ‘will’ mentality of the constant time-traveling mind, health and happiness in your life begin to flourish and now becomes the only time to live.

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